A Rift Among Allegiances

For over a month, Iraq has had strict curfews preventing its people from leaving home due to the recent COVID-19 outbreak. The political arena seems to be heating up. An article in the Jerusalem Post talks about how, “Iraq’s politics may be getting even more divided after the acting Prime Minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, sought to affirm his office’s control over key Iraqi paramilitary groups. The powerful Hashd al-Shaabi or Popular Mobilization Units have been maneuvering to dominate Iraq since the ISIS war, but they are increasingly divided between those who want to play a role in Iran’s regional strategy and those who want to be a more local Iraqi force.”

The article by the Jerusalem Post goes on to talk about the history of the futile relationship between Iraq and Iran. The protests of 2019 in southern Iraq can be linked backed to the Shi’ite Muslims. What may have started as a peaceful protest in Iraq quickly turned violent. Muhandis ordered a rocket attack on the US forces in Iraq. The US responded with airstrikes and Iraq then moved to remove the US forces from Iraq. At the same time all of this was going on, Iraq still hadn’t found a new prime minister. The race to find a prime minister could further split the political divide in Iraq. “The current crisis within the existing Iraqi crises appears to indicate a rift between the hardcore members who want Iraq to be a springboard for Iranian activities in the region and those who want to focus on more local issues.” The article goes on to say that until Iraq can find a new prime minister, the war will continue and ISIS will rise. These factors will make it increasingly harder for the citizens of Iraq’s lives to return to normal after COVID.

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